1. Field of the Invention
This invention has relation to solar heaters useful for preventing and eliminating buildup of ice along the bottom edge of a slanted roof in a heated dwelling in geographical areas where snow tends to persist in the wintertime.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to use solar collectors having triangle-shaped cross sectional dimensions. For example, see:
______________________________________ U.S. PATS. ______________________________________ 4,091,798 Fletcher et al 5/30/78 4,122,833 Lovelace et al 10/31/78 4,137,901 Maier et al 2/6/79 ______________________________________
The patent to Brunton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,001,331, granted Sept. 26, 1961, discloses a collector having a plurality of solar heat processing members located in adjacent relation to each other, one member being substantially horizontal and of reflective nature, adjoined to an adjacent vertical member which is heat absorbent.
The problem solved by this invention is related to, and is compounded by, buildup of ice in roof gutters. Strips of metal attached to the gutters to conduct solar heat to the gutter are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,211 to Winterfeldt, granted Sept. 21, 1965.
Roof gutters and roof edges can also be kept free of icicles by use of an elongated heating element 18 as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,111,251 to Spilsbury, granted on Mar. 15, 1938.
The patent to Deutz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,673, discloses a passive solar roof ice melter which is triangular in cross sectional dimension and which receives the sun's heat rays through a vertical window, these rays reflecting from a slanting surface down toward the surface of the roof where they pass through another glass to impinge on an upper heat absorbing surface of a horizontal bottom plate which is designed to rest on the roof. The Deutz device is designed to dangle from a support wire in position overlying the bottom edge of a slanted roof structure.
A search of the specific structure set out in the specification which follows was not made. Applicants and those in privity with them are aware of no prior art they believe to be closer than the patents set out above. They are aware of certain other patents related to solar heating which they do not believe are particularly pertinent to the present invention. These patents are:
______________________________________ 2,780,415 Gay 2/5/57 2,998,006 Johnston 8/27/61 3,039,453 Andrassy 6/19/62 3,244,186 Thomason et al 4/5/66 4,020,605 Zenos 5/3/77 ______________________________________
Applicants and those in privity with them are aware of no prior art which anticipates the claims herein.